The Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development and Jan Brügge Bootsbau GmbH have been awarded the ‘Holistic Sustainability’ special prize as part of the Seifriz Prize – Transfer Handwerk + Wissenschaft for their joint research project, BioBasedBoats. The prize was officially presented on 10 July in Grödersby, where master boatbuilder Jan Brügge’s workshop is based.

Traditional wooden boatbuilding, modern manufacturing technologies and sustainability can be successfully combined. This is demonstrated by the BioBasedBoats research project, in which the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) and Jan Brügge Bootsbau GmbH have worked together on new materials, material combinations and manufacturing processes for bio-based boat and yacht building. This holistic approach, combining craftsmanship and science, was recognised with the ‘Holistic Sustainability’ special award as part of the Seifriz Prize. The award was officially presented on 10 July at the workshop of master boatbuilder Jan Brügge.

The project focused on further developing wooden boatbuilding into a high-performance, practical and, at the same time, economically competitive alternative to plastic boatbuilding. Master boatbuilder Jan Brügge and researchers from the Department of Chemistry and Physics of Wood at HNEE investigated bio-based materials, new material combinations and more efficient manufacturing processes for this purpose.

A key milestone of the project was the successful adaptation of the vacuum infusion process to the bonding of wooden boat hulls. The process enables faster and more precise production, reduces the use of resins that are hazardous to health, and consistently utilises native timber species. It thus combines environmental benefits with high-quality craftsmanship and the process reliability required for modern yacht building.

The scientific project management was led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Pfriem, who was responsible for the project with his research group at HNEE and is now engaged in research and teaching at Dresden University of Technology as part of his professorship in Wood Technology and Wood-Based Bioeconomy.

“The project illustrates very well how knowledge transfer is understood at the HNEE: as collaboration on an equal footing between academia and industry,” says Anja Kampe, a project team member at the HNEE. “A specific practical challenge has given rise to an innovation that combines environmental responsibility, technical performance and commercial application.”

The findings from BioBasedBoats form an important basis for the yachts produced by Woy Yachts, including the Woy 26 daysailer. This vessel has already been honoured with the ‘Newcomer of the Year 2026’ Special Award at the 2026 European Yacht of the Year Awards.

The Seifriz Prize – Transfer of Craftsmanship + Science recognises outstanding collaborations between craft businesses and research institutions across Germany. The aim of the prize is to highlight innovation processes that arise from the interplay of practical experience and scientific expertise. The “Holistic Sustainability” Special Prize recognises projects that combine ecological, economic and social aspects in a particularly effective way.

Background: BioBasedBoats
The research project “BioBasedBoats – Development of new composite materials and manufacturing techniques to increase efficiency in bio-based boat and yacht building” ran at the HNEE from March 2020 to May 2023. The aim was to further develop boatbuilding using wood and other bio-based materials through the use of new materials and more efficient production processes.